The Talon chair represents an Australian innovation in the use of materials in furniture design. It is a stylish, lightweight chair designed for internal or external use in commercial or domestic settings. Its four components are made of moulded clear resin with embedded carbon fibre fabric, a low-density, strong and durable composite material not affected by sunlight or water. The chair is 2.4kg in weight, stackable, weather proof, and warm to touch. The high strength-to-weight characteristics of the carbon fibre material have been utilised in the 'slim line' form of the chair.

The Talon chair is the world's first carbon fibre chair designed for high volume production. Prior to the development of the Talon chair, carbon fibre chairs had been produced as low volume, expensive 'art pieces' and carbon fibre was not viewed as a viable material for use in furniture. This collaborative project between Bang Design and Talon Technology demonstrated that carbon fibre materials could be used successfully in volume production of furniture. The chair has been sold in USA, Europe, Japan and Argentina.

Prior to development of the Talon chair, Talon Technology was best known for production of carbon fibre reinforced plastic sporting equipment. With the intent of diversifying its operation into the furniture industry Talon approached Bang Design in 1995 to provide designs that could utilise their composite-fibre material. The aim was to launch Talon Technology into the international furniture market with a furniture product that was suited to mass-production with broad market appeal for high volume sales.

Together the two companies decided to develop the 'Sunday' chair which Bang had originally designed in 1992 as a moulded plywood and cast aluminium product. In 1996 work began to adapt the design to the requirements of Talon's technology. In 1998 a design for a companion table went into development.

Tooling was completed in the first half of 1997 and the Talon chair was launched in Sydney in late 1997, in Europe in 1998, in Japan and Argentina in 1999 and the USA in 2000.

The Talon chair is moulded in four parts: right hand frame, left hand frame, seat and backrest. A foam core moulding of each part is wrapped in a layer of carbon fibre. The part is then placed in a resin-injection moulding tool, where the carbon fibre is saturated with resin. Once the resin is set, the part is taken out of the tool, trimmed and polished clean. All the parts are then fastened together. The parts are moulded at the Talon Technology manufacturing facility in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and then assembled in Sydney, Australia.

The Talon chair is light, strong, weatherproof and stackable and suitable for use indoors or out. It has been designed for both commercial and living environments to maximise potential markets. Bang has assigned Talon Technology the exclusive worldwide license to manufacture the registered design. The company then sub-licenses the right to sell the pieces to selected furniture showrooms in various countries around the world.

This chair was displayed in the 2001 Australian Design Awards exhibition. It received an Australian Design Mark and a Powerhouse Museum Selection award in 2001.

Chair, 'Talon chair', carbon fibre reinforced plastic / steel, designed and developed by bangdesign and Talon Technology Pty Ltd, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1996-1997, made by Talon Technology Pty Ltd, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia / Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 1997-2000

Black Talon chair made from carbon fibre and resin over a polyurethane foam core. It is light, strong, weatherproof and stackable and has been designed for use indoors or outdoors in commercial or living environments. The high strength-to-weight characteristics of carbon fibre technology is utilised in the sleek fluid form of the chair, with tapered sections in the legs, seat and backrest.

Designed: Bang Design; Sydney, New South Wales; 1996 - 1997

Designed: Bang Design; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 1996 - 1997

Made: Talon Technology Pty Ltd; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; 1997 - 2000

Maker's details on black plastic label underneath seat, in red and white, '(claw) Talon (circle) / www.talon.com.au'

2005/6/1

1996 - 1997

775 mm

490 mm

520 mm

2.4 kg